HONG KONG, Jan 18 — Seventy-year-old film icon Chow Yun-fat crossed the finish line of the 10km race at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2026 in two hours and 23 seconds today, drawing cheers from spectators — and a dose of cinematic nostalgia — as he wrapped up another memorable run.

Chow has become something of a running icon in recent years, regularly spotted training on Hong Kong’s trails and taking part in major road races.

He first joined the city’s marathon circuit in 2023, completing the 10km before moving up to the half-marathon in 2024 and 2025.

Known for keeping an active lifestyle, the actor often tells fans that running keeps him grounded and gives him “a simple kind of happiness” away from the film world.

As Chow made his way through the finish area at Victoria Park, the on-site DJ queued up the theme from his classic film God of Gamblers, giving the moment an unmistakably Hong Kong-movie flourish and prompting smiles from fans lining the course.

The beloved star, who registered for the 10km under his own name, said the run was never about chasing the clock.

He took on the race alongside friends and fellow actors, including Lau Kong, Pao Hee-ching and Kent Cheng.

“Collectively, we add up to several hundred years old,” Chow joked as he spoke to reporters after the race, according to public broadcaster RTHK.

Chow had special praise for Lau, whom he described as the group’s guiding force.

“Lau is our teacher, and he’s going to be 80 this year. So we decided to join him and run, and this is like the biggest gift to him,” Chow said.

For the actor, simply completing the run together mattered more than the finishing time.

“The results don’t really matter — we just wanted to finish the race, and say hello to the spectators,” he added.

The marathon, Hong Kong’s biggest annual sporting event, drew more than 70,000 runners this year.

Ethiopia’s Melaku Belachew claimed his second men’s title in 2 hours 9 minutes 39 seconds, while Bahrain’s Shitaye Eshete won the women’s race in 2 hours 27 minutes, narrowly missing the course record.